A Novel, by Justin Cronin is not really a book about vampires as most of us know them. I must say that I felt cheated after having finished the book. Maybe cheated is a little strong, perhaps mislead is a better word. This is a saga that spans 100 years.
It does begin with a little girl but then veers off with other people. She seems like a minor player for most of the book. Soon it becomes apparent her psychic abilities to communicate with the vampiric type monsters will be pivotal to saving the world.
The story is about a mad scientist who wants to find a way to cheat death. It is hard to buy into the premise that anyone individual can have enough power to do the things he was able to do. It is too incredible. So I had a hard time with that part of the story. As with all mad scientists his subjects break free and soon all of mankind stands on the brink of annihilation. I could almost envision “Mad Max” type of post-apocalyptic world at this point as the different group of survivors tried to defeat the monsters that set out to destroy the world. Enter the little girl again. I will leave it here for you. There is really no ending to the book. No wrap up. No happy every after. Like most saga type books, it just is. So for me it was quite unsatisfying. I understand that this is just the first of a trilogy and that his next saga will explain a lot as the “vampires” evolve. There is a BIG cast of characters in this first book and a lot of unresolved issues. Justin promises to resolve them in the next book. As for myself I don’t think it will be worth my time to plod through another saga to hope they get resolved.
Would I recommend it? Only if you had nothing else to do.